Obviously there have always been NFL injuries, but it seems that in the past few years they’re getting to be the norm rather than the exception.
With marquee players going down all the time, and sometimes singlehandedly wrecking a team’s chances of success (think Testaverde in 98), ya have to wonder if there’s a way to slow the injury rate.
So what’s the silver bullet here?
More restrictive padding and bracing? Size limits on linemen? Eliminating astroturf?
None of those are the answer, but might contribute.
This may be a little speculative for this forum, but thoughts appreciated.
The only way to eliminate injuries in the NFL would be to stop playing it. As long as you big, fast guys running into each other a hundred times a game, someone is going to get hurt.
You might develop equipment that will lessen the severity of some injuries, but some injuries can’t be avoided given the nature of the game, such as knee injuries.
I believe I read that AstroTurf causes some injures to knees/ankles. Something about the combination of shoes on the artificial turf which can allow a player to stop on a dime, change directions, etc. Usually it works, but sometimes they blow out their knee because the joint or the tendon can’t take the pressure. Obviously injuries still happen on grass, but I think the AT is more dangerous.
Also, with regard to concussions, I believe I read somewhere that if there was also padding on the outside of the helmet the fewer players would have their bell rung. On occasion you’ll see a guy who has had a couple concussions wear a padded helmet, but not generally.
I’d like to see the rules changed a bit to protect the wide receivers from being hit while they are in the air and have just caught a ball a split second earlier. These guys seem very vulnerable to injury, and they always seem to like the accurate QB’s like Manning (Go Colts!) who don’t put them in danger.